


Absent Parents Anonymous

by crankyoldman



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-28
Updated: 2012-02-28
Packaged: 2017-10-31 20:45:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/348210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crankyoldman/pseuds/crankyoldman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Veld tries to help out Laguna with his kid, over lunch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Absent Parents Anonymous

**Author's Note:**

> I've been RPing Laguna, and you all know I RPed Veld back in the day and yeah. Vastly different characters but strangely similar situations. So yeah. This is just some crack. I'm going off my headcanon that Veld was sort of thought of Aeris as one of his kids even if she wasn't, if you don't get that subtle allusion (like how Laguna has Ellone). Context is 'what context'? Kind of makes me want to write some serious FF7/FF8(maybe FFX for flavor) crossover though, let me tell you.

“And that’s when she came to my attention. On the most wanted list.”

Laguna had decided that this Veld guy was cool because of the scar, really. Most of the other people at the meeting looked like normal parent people, and not only did Veld walk in fifteen minutes late, but Laguna could have sworn that he’d seen a gun holster under his jacket.

And since he appeared to be the only politician in the meeting, Laguna really just wanted to talk to the other person that _might_ be a little less than standard. As it was he’d had one mother ask for an autograph, which was entirely not helpful to the whole needing some parenting advice thing.

“Oh wow. That’s. I’m glad my kids are the good kind!”

Asking out another dad on a man-date was a little awkward, and there had been a moment where Veld had thought Laguna had meant, well, like _that_. He’d apologized profusely once he’d realized he’d come across like that. It had worked though, and they were eating at some place Veld knew.

He had to wonder what the heck Veld was eating though. Laguna had macaroni himself, but Veld’s food was really weird looking.

“It’s not that she’s a bad kid, just was in a bad situation, you realize.” _Right Laguna, don’t poke the guy with the gun._

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like--"

“So you missed your son’s childhood due to politics?”

Veld sipped his tea, and Laguna almost didn’t notice that he’d never mentioned that. They’d just really talked about the basics, the kinds of things that the meeting had taught them. Absent Parents Anonymous wasn’t a _bad_ organization, but Laguna wasn’t an addict or anything well, typical.

“Kind of. I mean, I didn’t expect to be all presidently. I just figured they needed someone to help shovel ruins and sometimes cheer people up, you know? I mean, it was a _mess_ there, I just didn’t feel right going back home yet.”

“And your adopted daughter is doing well now?”

“Oh Elle’s great now that people don’t want to open her up and poke at her brain.”

For some reason, Veld hid a slight snicker.

“Scientists tend to cause problems, I’ve heard.”

It was kind of funny. Veld hadn’t been untalkative, but he really hadn’t said much of anything at all.  
“So are you and Felicia on speaking terms?”

“Somewhat. She’s stopped trying to poison my food and has ceased calling me a corporate dog.”

Laguna started to laugh, but then he realized that wasn’t a joke.

“Heh, ah... what exactly is it you do, Mr. Dragoon?”

“I’m retired.”

“From?”

“Do you really want to know?”

Laguna decided it was best to drop it. He was going to pretend that Veld was a retired adventurer. Yeah. That’d work.

They ate in silence for a few moments. Laguna was just about to make a comment on the weather when Veld spoke. “You know, you’re rather open for a politician.”

“Thanks!”

Veld smirked. “And your son’s in the military?”

“No, he’s a mercenary. A COMMANDER of mercenaries.” As weird as it was, he was rather proud of Squall, scar-faced malcontent he might be.

“That might be part of your communication problem. You’re a rather… fluffy bunnies sort. He’s probably quite serious, yes?”

“Kind of. Felicia serious?”

“Most of the time.”

“Well Quistis always says that he just has to think through things before he says them, so unless it’s important he won’t get to saying them.”

“And he hasn’t told you to drop dead? That’s a good sign at least.”

“Yeah. Hey maybe we should set up hanging out with our kids together! I mean, Felicia’s a somewhat serious sword-liking person and Squall’s a serious gunblade-liking person.”

Veld snickered openly this time. “You can’t set up play dates for grown children.”

“…Why not?”

“You know I don’t actually have a good reason. Bring Ellone too, she might get along with Aeris.”

“Aeris? I thought you only had one daughter.”

“Oh, I do.”

Veld looked up then, and half-smiled at someone over Laguna’s shoulder. Which was weird, because he didn’t hear anyone walk up. Laguna turned around and managed to knock over his juice because this person was very likely _a vampire_.

“Who’s this.” The guy’s voice was a little scary too.

“Laguna, meet Vincent. Vincent, this is Laguna. He was at the meeting with me and wanted to share stories.”

“And I’m not very tasty,” Laguna added. He wasn’t a coward, just a survivalist.

Vincent tilted his head as if he was debating that fact and then looked back over at Veld. “I see.”

“Laguna and I might be doing one of the later steps in the program together. His son sounds like someone Felicia would get along with.”

“Can we go, then?”

Sunlight was probably getting to him or something. If Laguna were a vampire he wouldn’t like the patios of restaurants either. Of course, if Vincent was a vampire, that made Veld even stranger considering that he didn’t seem particularly annoyed or frightened by Vincent’s presence.

“So Veld, I guess I’ll see you next meeting? And we can work out schedules with the kids then?”

“Certainly. “

\---

It had taken a lot of sneakiness to get Squall to go, thankfully Quistis was such a helpful person. She’d cleared a whole week on his schedule and even drove him to the park just to make sure he’d actually make the ‘playdate’. Of course, Laguna was late, so he figured he’d get some kind of Squallish speech about how he couldn’t just run off from Garden whenever Laguna wanted to have a picnic or something.  
But Veld had been on time, or possibly early, and oddly enough seemed to be keeping Squall occupied. Ellone was chatting rather animatedly with another girl who had a big pink bow and a pink dress. _That’s probably that Aeris he mentioned, Felicia doesn’t sound like a girly girl._

“You can’t use a hollow point for that.”

“You use whatever’s on hand, you think that bullets just grow on trees? Surely you’ve been on field missions.”

“But it’ll ruin the weapon.”

“Not if you do it right.”

Laguna didn’t want to interrupt the discussion, but he had come here to hang out with his kid.

“Hey guys!”

“You’re late.”

“I had to sign some stuff and Kiros--"

“Excuses.”

Man, this was going just like it normally did. Of course, he had allies. Quistis was sitting at a picnic table reading… and was that a camera she had on the table?

And Veld chimed in then. “So what sorts of things did you have planned? Felicia’s running late, so we might as well discuss that.”

“I brought a ball! For catch!”

Squall pinched his nose and muttered something.

“I see. I sent Vincent to get some food, we can all play catch later?” Veld’s tone was diplomatic. Maybe he’d been a politician too! Still, Laguna didn’t want to know.

“Well, Father, you didn’t bring any of your assassin fanclub at least.” The speaker _had_ to be Felicia, because she looked _just like_ Veld, except for being female, of course. Introductions went around. While Squall hadn’t brought his gunblade, Felicia seemed like she must have slept with her sword under her pillow. And he figured she probably had more on her.

Heck, the gun holster Laguna had seen on Veld at the first meeting probably wasn’t the only thing he had on him either. Definitely related. It was kind of cute how they were alike, even if it was weird and likely paranoia related.

“I can’t say none of my ‘fanclub’ as you call it won’t show up,” Veld replied, in an amused tone. What was it about fathers kind of spoiling their daughters? At least Elle wasn’t a brat about it, with all the crazy stuff she’d had to deal with. Not that Felicia seemed like a brat or anything.

“And I thought you said this Squall guy had a gunblade.”

“I left it at home.”

“Gunblades are ridiculous anyway.”

Squall’s eyebrows shot up at that. “Ridiculous?”

“The very idea of combining a gun and a sword is inherently silly. And I hear they jam up at the most inopportune times.”

“Not if you know how to use them.”

Veld smiled and Laguna wanted to laugh. Yes, this was definitely a good idea. Maybe they would both be better parents through all this.

“I heard there would be food.”

On second thought…

“Shoo Reno. This is family time.”

“Awww, I’m not family?”

“Family doesn’t host keg parties at my house, no.”

Better to just play it by ear.


End file.
